When Heinz got home, his mother was waiting
for him with his aunt Flora. His mother flung her arms out and
said, "Heinz, your aunt Flora!" His mother was always
very dramatic. Even her name was dramatic: Eugenie. You could
not say that word without thinking of elegance, stature, and bright
splashes of color. She always tied back her long hair with multi-colored
head scarves and wore flowing dresses. Every word she said seemed
like she was making a pronouncement. And she loved to make pronouncements.
She was the first lady to own an automobile license, and boy did
she use it. The article was still up on the wall. It told all
about how she had been in the cross-country road race complete
with obstacles. She even won a big trophy for it. Even in her
car she looked elegant. She believed a lady should walk with one
foot in front of the other, and when she walked, she had a certain
air around her that made you believe she was royalty.
Flora came up to him. "Heinz!" she exclaimed, "I
swear you get taller every day! Come, give me a hug. I was just
telling your mother that I was talking to Alice". Alice was
Flora's friend. They talked a lot. She had a niece about his age
too. She was supposed to be really pretty. Just thinking of her
made him start to turn red. Flora was continuing: "I wanted
to take you to the Staatsoper tomorrow. That baritone Alexander
Sved is going to be singing". Heinz beamed. He loved the
going to the opera and went every chance he could get. He wondered
if Flora's niece would be going too.

* * *

Ilse smoothed her dress. Even if they were
in standing room only, she liked to look dressed up. Maybe she
would get a chance to see Alexander after the show! She always
waited for him at the stage door.
Last time she had gone to see him, he had taken her hand, put
it in his coat pocket, and whispered to her with a smile that
melted her to a puddle on the ground, "I sang only for you
tonight". But then his wife had come. Ilse and the rest of
the girls hated her, they were so jealous. She did not deserve
to be married to such a wonderful man, they all felt. She was
ugly. She had glasses at least a mile thick, and that's why they
called her "Brillenschange". "Oh no, let's get
out of here!"they had whispered to each other. "The
Glasses-Snake is here!"
Just then, she saw Flora waving enthusiastically and walking up
join Ilse and her mother. Oh, she had that boy with her. How tall
and gangly he looks! thought Ilse.
"Alice, servus! And Ilse, hello sweetheart! Ilse, have you
met my nephew, Heinz yet?" Heinz turned bright red. He was
wearing a jacket with stylish elbow patches and carrying an old
felt hat. The poor boy can't even talk he's so shy! Ilse thought
to herself. She straightened up and held out her hand to him.
"Hello, Heinz, nice to meet you," she said. He shook
her hand but didn't say anything.
Alice and Flora were talking about the singers.
"Do you like Alexander Sved?" Heinz turned to Ilse suddenly
and asked.
"Oh, yes!" Ilse nodded enthusiastically. "He's
my very favorite."
"He's the one all the girls call bully, isn't he."
"That's right. All my friends are in love with him too."
"Do you like any movie stars?"
"Oh, I love a lot of them; Marta Eggerth, Paula Wessely,
Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Ronald Coleman, and Leslie Howard."
Before they could say any more, the lights dimmed and the opera
began.

Marta Eggerth

Marlene Dietrich

Greta Garbo

That night, after they were all home, Mutti
asked Ilse what she thought of Heinz.
"Oh, he seems like a nice boy", Ilse said.
"Is that all?"
"Mutti! He's so shy and he cant even say anything without
turning red."
"I think he is very sweet, and I hope he will come to more
operas with us."
"Oh Mutti."

* * *

Heinz was standing outside the Opera. He always
stood in the same spot and watched Ilse. Since he had met her,
he went to the opera much more often to try and see her. She was
standing in the standing room line with The Competitor. The Competitor
was named Hans Gruenwald, and he was the nephew of a principal
singer. Heinz saw them together often, and didn't dare go near
Ilse while Hans was around. If Ilse was interested in such a solid,
important boy, why on earth would she ever even look at him? He
shifted the package under his arm in frustration, and wished that
he had not brought it.

* * *

Ilse was standing in her usual spot during intermission. Hans
had gone off somewhere, and since neither Mutti nor Georg had
come along, she was alone. Then she noticed Heinz standing nearby.
"Oh, hello!" she said to him.
"Hi. I thought you would come tonight", he said. Ilse
noticed a small package wrapped in brown paper that he was holding.
"What's that", she asked him. He turned red, as usual.
"Well, it's actually for you", he said. Ilse was surprised.
Whatever could it be? He held it out to her and she took it from
him.
"May I open it now?" she asked him.
"Of course", he replied. "It's not much, I just
thought you might enjoy it." Ilse unwrapped the package,
and inside she was enormously surprised to find a photograph of
Alexander Sved!
"Oh!" she gasped, looking at it. "Oh, it's wonderful,
thank you so much!" Heinz turned red and smiled.
"I'm glad you like it. I remember that you said you liked
him"."Well that's a nice little picture, isn't
it!" said a voice behind them, startling them both so much
that they jumped. They both looked up to see Hans grinning at
them."Well, I'm glad you like it", Heinz
said to Ilse. "I guess I'll go back now, intermisssion's
almost over.""OK", she replied. "See you later".
She admired the picture once more, and then went to watch the
rest of the opera with Hans.

After the opera, Hans offered to walk Ilse
home. He was very polite, and helped Ilse put on her jacket. As
they were going out the door, Ilse noticed Heinz walking right
next to them. "Oh, hello", she said.
"Hello", he replied. He followed them out to the street.
Ilse expected him to turn the other way, but he didn't. He crossed
the street, and then glancing at Ilse and the boy, started to
walk exactly opposite him. Ilse pretended not to notice and turned
to her escort.

Heinz watched Ilse and that other boy walking
together. He had spent more time that evening watching her than
watching the opera. How he wished he had had the nerve to go up
to her and ask to walk her home! All he could do was to follow
them, watching everything. He knew Ilse was pretending not to
notice him. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood tonight.
He felt like every laugh and every flounce of her dress was just
for him.

Mutti greeted her at the door. "Well,
don't you look happy. Wasn't that Heinz on the other side of the
street? You naughty girl, why didn't you invite the boy in? You
treat him so cruelly, and he is such a sweet boy. You should really
make the effort to get to know him better."
"I'm the lady and he is the gentleman, I think he should
make the effort."
"You little vixen, you! You just enjoy the attention don't
you". Ilse blushed. Mutti could read her like a book.